EEA grants support closure of municipal landfills

With an amount of over 9.3 million RON provided by the EEA Grants under the RO Environment Programme, the Fălticeni UAT has closed the temporary waste storage landfill on the platform of Fălticeni, Suceava County.

The elimination of the major source of soil, water and air pollution, methane emissions and foul odor generated by the 112,000 cubic meters of waste, deposited in the period 2014-2019, benefited over 30,400 inhabitants of the city, including citizens from the peri-urban localities of the municipality.

Closing the landfill in situ was the only viable option, offering significant environmental and public health benefits (transportation of decomposing waste on public roads was avoided).

An innovative and efficient technological solution was used which involved aerating the landfill to reduce methane emissions. This technique involves introducing air into the landfill, changing the anaerobic environment into an aerobic one with the effect of changing the way bacteria decompose organic matter, reducing methane production and speeding up the decomposition of waste.

The project has had a high social impact, benefiting local and non-dwellers in the area, as well as people passing through the area. This impact was due to reduced pollution and a significant improvement in the visual appearance of the area.